C4 Original Icy Blue Raspberry by Cellucor
Blue in your shaker, and that's no coincidence. C4 Original Icy Blue Raspberry is Cellucor's blue raspberry variant, a pre-workout that you mix with water before your training. This tub contains 198 grams, good for 30 scoops. A manageable size to get to know the taste and use.
What a pre-workout actually is
A pre-workout is a powder that you mix with water shortly before your training and drink. The word says it all: pre means before, workout is your training. Most pre-workouts revolve around a combination of caffeine and amino acids, sometimes supplemented with vitamins. C4 Original follows that classic recipe. What you won't find in it: sugar or protein powder. So it is not a replacement for a meal or a protein shake, but a separate drink that you use alongside your regular nutrition. In short: a pre-workout like this is a fixed part of the preparation, just like tying your shoes and filling your bottle.
What is in a scoop of C4 Original
One level scoop weighs 6.6 grams for this flavor. It contains 1600mg CarnoSyn® beta-alanine (a branded form of beta-alanine, an amino acid that your body also produces itself). In addition, 1500mg micronized creatine monohydrate, which amounts to 1319mg pure creatine. Micronized means that the powder is extra finely ground, so that it dissolves more easily in water. Furthermore, you will find 1000mg L-arginine hydrochloride, 200mg N-acetyl-L-tyrosine (a form of the amino acid tyrosine that dissolves better in water) and 150mg caffeine. The list is completed with vitamin C, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 contributes to a normal energy-yielding metabolism. And vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Why this flavor is blue
The blue in your shaker comes from brilliant blue FCF, a coloring that is often found in blue drinks. The flavor is raspberry with an icy, fresh note. For the sweetness, Cellucor uses sucralose and steviol glycosides in this variant, so a combination of a synthetic and a plant-based sweetener from the stevia plant. Sugar is not in the ingredients list. Good to know: the flavors of C4 Original have the same active ingredients per scoop. What differs are the aromas, the coloring, the sweeteners and therefore the weight of a scoop, which per flavor is around 6.6 to 6.9 grams.
How much caffeine is in a scoop
Many people wonder how much caffeine is in C4. In short: 150mg per scoop of 6.6 grams. That is roughly comparable to one and a half cups of filter coffee. Because the amount per scoop is fixed, you know exactly what you are getting, as long as you level the scoop. A pre-workout with this amount of caffeine suits athletes who like to know what they are getting into. By the way: caffeine is listed as anhydrous caffeine on the ingredients list. That is the same substance as in coffee and tea, only as a dry powder without moisture, so that you can easily dose it accurately in a scoop.
Blue raspberry is one of the best-known flavors from the C4 line. With 30 servings in a 198-gram tub, you can last about a month with a training schedule of seven days. The composition per scoop is the same as that of the other flavors, only the color and sweeteners differ.